However, let’s add a few things, from the Harbaugh point of view here…

Harbaugh now is the chief and only selling point Jed York has for the New-Model 49ers. If he doesn’t sign on to the Baalke reign, the 49ers are dead stuck.

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They need Jim Harbaugh to validate anything about the haphazard, instantaneous Baalke “search”. And by now, Harbaugh knows this.

Has a pending coach–without a past Super Bowl berth in his resume–ever held this much power over an NFL team?

I mean, if you’re a nice guy in Harbaugh’s position, you probably still ask for the moon right now.

And Harbaugh is a cut-throat guy, which I say in the nicest way possible. He’s a go-for-2 while up by 35 points kind of guy.

You want hard-liners as your coach. But those are the guys who are the toughest to negotiate with, because they usually make sure they’re the ones holding the cards, and when they hold the cards, they can be devils.

If you’re Harbaugh, these are probably your concerns about the 49ers:

* How do I get a QB? Maybe Harbaugh has figured this one out, maybe he has a guy he figures he can get with a pick that should fall in the 6-8 range overall.

But he is going to want to know this, and it won’t be Troy Smith, Alex Smith or Nate Davis.

* Is Baalke really the guy to stock a roster with playoff-level talent? In Baltimore, Jim’s brother, John, has Ozzie Newsome, the best talent-guy in the NFL. The Harbaughs know that they can’t do it by themselves.

Would Jim Harbaugh really be satisfied with Baalke as his version of Newsome?

I’d guess that Harbaugh would demand control of the 53-man roster, usually the domain of a power GM (Baalke!), but how could Harbaugh not get what Mike Nolan and Mike Singletary had before him with the 49ers?

And control of the draft. That would be a must for any top-levle coach.

But would Harbaugh be given authority over Baalke, Marathe and Heneghan, or would they rank above him?

If you’re Harbaugh, you probably don’t let anybody rank ahead of you in the 49ers’ hierarchy, with the possible exception of people named York.

But that’s not the way York has described this.

And if York has described it differently in public than Harbaugh has been hearing through back channels, what does that tell him about the general chaos of the 49ers?

—There are plusses to the 49ers for Harbaugh, for sure.

* He wants to stay on the West Coast, I believe. Hard to argue with that.

* He wants to coach in the NFC, so the only chance of a postseason meeting with his brother would be in the Super Bowl.

* His alma mater Michigan probably will be first on the line soon after the Orange Bowl, and can offer NFL-level money, but you can’t win a Super Bowl at Michigan, and that’s what Harbaugh wants to do.

* In a weird twist, I’ve heard that Nike could have some influence and when you hear Nike “could” have influence, it’s usually true.

Harbaugh’s a Nike-affiliated coach (and Stanford is a Nike school). Michigan is an Adidas school. The NFL is going to Nike apparel in 2012.

Hard to believe that’s a big factor, but again, when Nike’s involved, you listen.

My firm thought on Michigan: Harbaugh can always come back to Michigan. Say he does the NFL for 5 to 7 years… he’ll still be in his 50s, and Michigan probably will be there for him.

His dream is to coach in the NFL and win a Lombardi Trophy. That’s the dream.

* I don’t think Harbaugh would mind being in the weak NFC West, and by the way get to play Pete Carroll’s Seahawks twice a year. And inherit a roster that is already better than Carroll’s.

* Is Harbaugh guaranteed to win the pros? Nobody is. Great assistants have flamed and burned as HCs in the NFL, and so have great college coaches.

You don’t know. But Harbaugh has the specific characteristics that seem to fit what the 49ers need, after years of Nolan and Singletary.

He knows that. Sometimes you get the best deal when you’re talking to a team that is in deep weakness, and maybe that is what’s happening with Harbaugh and the 49ers.

Let’s see if they can close this deal. They have to.

—-the column/

Jed York, accidental master of suspense!

The 49ers’ president wants to hire personnel chief Trent Baalke as the franchise’s new general manager, it seems obvious, but that’s not the suspenseful part.

Nothing about Baalke, as far as I can tell, is exciting or suspense-inducing.

As always with the 49ers, the theatrics come in the process, the P.R. short-circuitry, the zany zigzags, contradictory statements and uncertain logic behind it all.

They don’t ever seem to get better, only funnier.

Giving York every benefit of the doubt, let’s assume he believes that promoting Baalke will lead directly to hiring Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh to replace the fired Mike Singletary.

That is not a bad plan, if it comes to fruition, mostly because Harbaugh is an outsider with the energy and offensive know-how to reignite the 49ers’ dying pilot light.

If Jon Gruden is indeed off the 49ers’ radar, as reported by NBC’s Peter King, then Harbaugh, as one NFL source described to me, is the 49ers’ “all-or-nothing guy right now.”

If Harbaugh has approved Baalke as G.M., then maybe it’s the step the 49ers need to make.

Asked Wednesday if he was interested in hiring Harbaugh, York said: “I’m interested in getting this right.”

But there are two problems with York’s plan. The biggest: What if Harbaugh, surveying the many years of confusion, balks at coming to the 49ers?

In Miami with Stanford for the Orange Bowl, Harbaugh declined to confirm or deny discussions with the 49ers.

He has a probable option in Michigan. He could have others in the NFL. I don’t think the 49ers are a slam dunk for him.

If Harbaugh demurs, that would leave Baalke, York and Paraag Marathe firmly re-entrenched at the top of the 49ers’ hierarchy, without a game-changing coach candidate in sight.

Not exactly a burst of momentum right there.

Which leads to the other problem: Why would York insist he needs a strong G.M. to fix the 49ers then precook the search to promote Baalke?

Baalke is the guy who was doing the job without the title on the 49ers’ way to a 5-10 record this season, and he appeared to be stampeded by Singletary all the way.

After Baalke’s presumed promotion leaked Tuesday — it was reported on various national sites — and 49ers fans roared their disapproval online and on the airwaves, it is likely that York realized he had created a mess.

I’m guessing that legendary former owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr., Jed’s uncle, strongly suggested Jed delay a Baalke coronation until York has a chance to interview executives currently employed by other teams.

To that end, around noon York told me that “we’re not hiring anybody on Sunday,” despite rumors that Baalke could be hired by then.

And York suggested that he was looking to “open up” the process after the weekend. York said he might not even be at the 49ers’ finale Sunday if he is interviewing candidates Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

Of course, a few hours later Mike Lombardi, NFL Network analyst and former Raiders executive, offered this report: He had interviewed with York on Tuesday night; he wasn’t a serious candidate; and he believes Baalke will get the job, possibly within 48 hours.

Zig. And zag. Suspense! Mystery! Not on purpose.

Later in the day, via text message, I asked York for comment on Lombardi’s report, specifically about Baalke. York’s reply was vague: “We’re going to take our time to get the right person.”

This sounds as if York remains set on Baalke, who would be the safe, uninspiring, unchallenging, same-old, same-old 49ers choice.

Just hire the guy next in line at the office. Yes, that should spark everything.

This also sounds as if York, once he made that bland decision, was trapped in a P.R. quandary.

He wants to burnish Baalke’s reputation as much as possible — therefore the leaks — but York also can’t make it seem as if the 49ers’ search was a sham.

York is also suffering from the flu, which might explain the recent 49ers dizziness, but not the befuddlement of the past eight years.

What York really needs is for the big plan to work. He needs Baalke to bring in Harbaugh and for Harbaugh to figure out how to get a quarterback.

If that’s not how it comes down, the timeline and the P.R. won’t matter at all.

Tim Kawakami

Post navigation

Why is there such derision of Baalke? Is this because he was a part of this failing team? Or are there actual mistakes he has made due to inexperience and lack of ability? I am no apologist, it just seems that he is seen as a joke among the writers but no evidence has been given about his performance.

Ninerdiehard

Harbaugh is going to want to have a QB – if he goes to Dallas, he gets Romo, plus the draft

If he goes to Michigan, he can recruit. Most say that one of Harbaugh’s great strengths is as a recruiter. Recruited in Josh Johnson in SD, and Luck at Stanford

49ers: he has no QB to work with, and cant recruit. Stuck with the draft, which with the #6-8 pick, is risky (or do i have to mention picking Alex Smith?)

Other NFL teams will be searching for a coach. some will have a decent QB to work with

bottom line: if Jed goes with Balke, he’d better have someone big already committed, or he’s running the risk he’ll be ridden out of town on a rail.

Monterey

To be fair to Trent, I don’t think lack of talent was the problem for the 49ers this year. I think it was an overwhelmed head coach who didn’t know how to strategize or game plan. And the flip-flopping with the QB’s was a huge mistake. QB’s not knowing or not being told, that doesn’t help confidence. You need confidence to succeed. For Singletary to always say that he need to watch the film: what on earth was happening at halftime when adjustments were required? If he had to watch the film to understand what was going on: he wasn’t paying attention, or he didn’t know how to pay attention. Singletary was over-matched. I don’t think we can say that the problem with this year’s team was Trent Baalke’s personal decisions.

Ceedub

Sounds like young Jed is putting all of his collective eggs into one basket.

When has anything worked for a York? Harbaugh is holding all the cards. He’ll want the moon and more. Young Jed will give it to him, that’s why we have the Baalke pick.

It’s 50-50 Harbaugh comes. I hope Young Jed has a backup plan and it isn’t named Billick.

Monterey

I hate to admit this, but I would be happy with Josh McDaniels. Listen, Bill Belichick didn’t exactly shine his first time around. Plus he wasn’t given enough time. If you strip away the personnel decisions from McDaniels, he might actually be a good head coach. He was an awesome coordinator, and I challenge anyone to disagree with me on that. Plus, he learned from Belichick.

The roap map we need to follow is Kansas City: Pioli, Haley, Wies, Crennel. Of course, there aren’t any Pioli’s out there, but McDaniels is next best thing from Belichick tree. We all loved the Walsh tree. Let’s use the Belichick tree!

Bob S

Pete –

The fans and media are calling for a football guy to run the team …

Everyone is an expert in this process …

The fans and media want something new, something sexy, a big name … they wouldn’t know what a football guy is unless someone who is a football guy tells them that this guy is a football guy.

Perhaps the fans and the media will not trust the 49ers anymore, stop rooting for them (the fans) and stop covering them (the media) …

Oh wait, what will Tim Kawakami do if he doesn’t have the 49ers to bash? Oh yes, write another column on the Sharks pronouncing them as “Logan Couture’s Team Now”

http://www.solspot.com whisky rebel

tell me why this isn’t the exact same scenario as the Warriors with Mullin getting promoted and then hiring Montgomery. Guy gets promoted from within (although people were much more excited for Mullin to take over) and he hires a local college coach (in both cases same college) who has turned around the program.

we can only hope down the road this ends up the same as the Warriors and the Yorks sell, only this time Ellison doesn’t get hoodwinked

http://www.robertphoenix.com Julian Assange

I plan on releasing a series of cables that will expose Jed and the Niners at the highest level, but I have to get a new hairstyle and check with my CIA contacts first.

stanfordfan

Harbaugh going to the Fourth and Niners now is not the same as Walsh going there in 1979… Eddie D could buy a roster… Not possible today… Eddie D became a masterful owner, not within the realm of possiblity for anybody whose last name is York… A dysfunctional franchise will turn a great coach into a dysfunctional one much easier than a quality franchise will turn a dysfunctional coach into a quality one… Harbaugh would never be as happy with the Niners as he would be just to stay at Stanford and compete at the top level of college sports for the indefinite future…

I would lose some respect for Harbaugh if he signed with the Fourth and Niners… If he needs to go to the NFL, there will be a bunch of jobs open that are superior to this opportunity… Sign with an owner who knows what he is doing, at least…

Davis

Personally, if Baalke is the right guy for the job, then fine.

I have a much bigger issue with Jed’s repeated proclamations that they will conduct a thorough search for the right guy as GM. Only AFTER that, will he and the new GM determine the new coach. We’re not even a week after the firing, and 2 interviews in, and it appears he’s already apparently zero’d in on his GM AND coach. We can argue the wisdom of this approach all day, and only time will tell if this is the right or wrong move.

But please, stop LYING to the fans. We’re sick of the bull***t coming of out Santa Clara. Hire a real PR person who will tell you that fans will stick by you if you don’t jerk them around.

Jed had a first hand look at this with Coach Sing for 2.5 years. It just seems like this ownership group doesn’t learn from any of their past mistakes.

Monterey

Stanfordfan: would you rather take the easy route and go work for an owner like Jerry Jones who, if Harbaugh succeeds, will take all of the credit? Or would you rather take the more challenging job, knowing you’re so confident in your ability, you know you will turn it around and you’ll get all the credit?

Joe

I’m surprised nobody has mentioned the Parcells connection. Parcells is a control freak and also an ego maniac. Perhaps the meeting with Parcells is to get him on board as a President and have Baalke as the player personnel guy and heir apparent.

lowniner

@bob s

It doesn’t take an expert to figure out what Jed is;

29 yrs old, go “wiki” his experience in anything. You probably have more than he does.

out

Johnny Christo

Tim – again, the flu? Really? Drop that angle already. It only serves to distract from the points you’re making. I’ve never heard such tremendous respect for a flu bug. From how you describe it, you’d think Jed was up against the hiv

Bob S

lowniner – Jed has the money and the power …

Remember, it wasn’t too long ago that Brian Sabean was a knucklehead …

And also remember, da Raidahs, who have football guys, have been in worse turmoil then the Niners …

The only thing constant between the two teams is that they both make money, lots of it.

Even if the 49ers don’t sell out home games, they will still make money …

Byron

If I was Harbaugh my question would be: What are you willing to do to move to number one so we can have Luck?? Getting Andrew Luck would set the Niners for the next decade for that position and I see it as well worth it to give up a 1st , 2nd, 5th this year plus a 1st and 2nd next year. after all if Baalke is all that he should be able to get quality players on later rounds..Andrew Luck..those Peyton Manning QB’s come along only once every 10 yrs and if this works out I do not see the niners picking on the first 10 or 15 picks for years to come. Haebaugh + Luck= Playoffs next year.

Daniel

“My firm thought on Michigan: Harbaugh can always come back to Michigan. Say he does the NFL for 5 to 7 years… he’ll still be in his 50s, and Michigan probably will be there for him.”

I am not sure how you figure this. Michigan is not a school that will just fire a coach because a coach like Harbaugh is available. Keep in mind that Harbaugh to Michigan is a big possibility only because Rich Rod is not performing up to par. If Rich Rod were successful Harbaugh would not even be considered. This may be his only chance at Michigan. NFL jobs come up every year. now if it were his dream to coach the Niners only then I can see your point. having said that I don’t know what harbaugh will do but I don’t think this is a valid point. This more then likly will be his only chance at Michigan.

stanfordfan

Monterey, I’ve learned after 35 years in the business world, NEVER go to work for an incompetent and dysfunctional boss… Dallas might not be the right answer for Harbaugh, and certainly Oakland isn’t… But a great coach who succeeds while working for an egomaniac but competent boss is still recognized throughout the league as a great coach and he keeps his options open… If Harbaugh goes to work for the Yorks and doesn’t succeed, which is highly likely, his stock will go down…

seattlegiants

I am so confused at this whole process..I sat there listening to the news conference and really felt we finally were going to do this right! What happened? If Baalke was soooo good, why wasn’t he promoted in the first place? My only hope is that Singletary had full control and there was no way the Yorks wanted to impede that process. Maybe they realized Baalke was that good..I don’t get it..He may be great, an up and coming star..but then what the heck was he doing all this time in the front office? That is the part I am confused about..

Let’s go hard after Harbaugh, but keep the Morninwegs, Fishers, McDaniels, Gruden’s and others close by. Unfortunately an inexperienced GM will not allow us to gamble this time and a proven all powerful coach is our only hope to get out of the darkness..

James

@#12 I don’t now why everyone keeps bringing up Jed York’s age and experience when Eddie Debartolo was only a couple of years older when his daddy bought him a football team to run. Eddie D went through a few year of his own futility before he hired Bill Walsh from right down the road to build a dynasty.

hibcbcbc

If Harbaugh is not GUARANTEED with Baalke’s hire, then Jed is finished here.

There is NO ROOM for ******* up and Jed is doing it 5 times a day right now.

This has been the most incompetent “GM search” in the history of sports.

Period.

If they cannot get Harbaugh, Jed, you are done here.

Do you understand this? You could buy yourself some credibility with fans (and around the league) by hiring a qualified candidate for this job.

But you won’t.

Because you’re a York.

One for **** up Jed, and you lose the fanbase forever. And that comment is dead, spot on accurate and you know it.

The Wisdom Cow

hib, he’s the owner’s kid. He’d only be finished as far as we are concerned. He’d be like Cohan at year 4, and it took a subjective eternity before he finally left.

Dirk Suave

Stanfordfan your crazy… JH not good fit for Dallas or Oakland? That’s just a stupid comment. If JH coaches either Dallas, Oak or SF that team is playoff bound. Not to mention stanfordfan that JH has and does have a more than cordial relationship with the Raiders ADavis. Been interviewed by him as well. Fit?…lol. Anyway, JH would and should be the Niners choice. Your salvation could be Garrett and Cable. I think both more than earned the privilege to HC next year. Next don’t use four top picks for luck. Use two firsts only. Gonna need those second and third rounders. Also Cam Newton could work as and you could keep all your picks. Don’t go all in for luck if there are options and there are. I feel JH could get a bum like Kitna to do well. Thank goodness they’ll have someone better than him or ASmith. Lastly, what if it’s not JH? That’s big. Mcdaniels? Hah!! Do you SEE what he just did to the Bumcos? Yeah let’s bring HIM here… NO! The NE coating tree bears bad fruit unless you get a full bushell. Note KC or Mid West NE as I call em. Haley would’ve been fired this year but reached out for Weis and Crennel, who saved his job. And are the reason the Raiders didn’t get back to the playoffs, besides a missed Jano FG at ari. I don’t think billick is the answer and I’m 50/50 on chucky and Cowher is a no.

If not JH then who?? Lord knows but it better be JH for Niner fans sake. Not too many options while JH has plenty. Can’t wait to find out tho.

Kommon Senze

While I agree that hiring Baalke immediately would be a PR fiasco, and would fly in the face of everything York has said thus far and what many had hoped he learned after the premature Singletary hire, I don’t necessarily think that hiring Baalke would be a mistake in the end. If York does vet several candidates honestly, and he determines that Baalke is the best suited for the long-term vision of the team, then I’d be less skeptical.

The problem, imo, is more that, at this moment, it’s hard to believe there isn’t a more qualified individual out there. No offense to Baalke, who doesn’t deserve all the bashing he’s getting by some right now, but I just don’t know that he’d be at the top of any other team’s GM candidate list. If no other team has even singled him out as a GM right now, why should the 49ers be so sure he’s the guy?

If Jed wants to get this right, he should be seeking the very best guy, period. He shouldn’t be trying to prove he’s smarter than every other owner out there; that he sees something in Baalke that no one else does because they just don’t know him. That’s hubris at its worst. He should be trying to beat all the other teams out for the guy that everybody wants to hire. Maybe he feels that getting Harbaugh, who is a hot name, will accomplish that, but if he’s thinking that, then he’s lying about wanting the GM to be the guy to make that decision.

I hope that this is just a lot of Michael Lombardi hot air (wouldn’t be the first time he’s been shown up for being a blowhard on NFL Network), and bad info from the so-called ‘source’ in the 49er office. I really do hope that they talk to each and every top candidate around, if for nothing else but to show to future candidates that they are serious about getting things right.

We’ll see. There’s just so much about hiring Baalke now that would be such a bad idea that, not knowing Jed at all, I’d hope he’s smart enough to realize he needs to be earnest in “getting it right.”

Not Chicken Little

Get a grip: Mike Smith, Todd Haley, Sean Payton, etc, etc. How much excitement did those names draw BEFORE they were named head coaches? Bet the farm that there are guys out there, under the blog driven radar, who are the next Smith, Haley and Peyton. Harbaugh may be an answer, but he is not alone.

Threeputt

How many teams are looking for new coaches? Carolina, Dallas, Minnesota, Cleveland, Tennessee, Denver, possibly Houston, Miami, and even Oakland. Oh, and the 49ers. And where do you think Jim Harbaugh ranks as a possible new coach hire? Ah, that would be near the top. And how much power do you think he’s gonna want, given that he can pretty much call the shots? And how powerful a G/M do you think he will want? I’m betting that ol Jim is giving the mirror a loving look right now. And, the more i ponder this, I wouldn’t rule out Oakland. I have a lot of respect for Tom Cable and hope he stays, but this could be Al Davis’ final hurrah.

http://thehealingfrequency.com/zapper/ Zapper

Let’s open it up and get a fresh perspective. We need someone from the outside who can see the forest through the trees. Maybe Parcells or Lombardi and let them evaluate Baalke and see how much he really knows first.

Not Harbaugh

What do Mike Smith, Todd Haley and Sean Payton have in common? They were successful NFL coordinators first!

No to Harbaugh. We need NFL experience!

Monterey

Dirk Suave: McDaniels hurt the Bronco’s by having all of the power. He sucked at personnel decisions, but I think he has potential to be a good coach. I would hire him in a heartbeat for Off Coord.

http://4coachinthehisrtoryoftheNBA jsl

York”s an idiot. Count on failure. Again.

robert rowell

i doubt very seriously that the 9ers nab Luck with a top pick, let’s dispel that right now. look at all the teams worse than the 9ers, only denver is a team that doesn’t lack at the QB position. buffalo, carolina, cincinnatti all could use one. of the teams 5-10, we’ve got a couple more in arizona and cleveland. additionally, i haven’t heard that it is certain that Luck is going to forgo is final season at stanford and if we’re in this same position next year, well…

as far as Baalke, Harbaugh thing, many people have been spot on in saying, if Baalke isn’t on any other team’s radar for GM, why should he be on the 9ers, who desperately need a competent GM? thinking that Baalke is the one and only route to Harbaugh just shows how clueless the 9ers FO really is. as far as it’s been reported, the two don’t have any kind of professional relationship.i think it’s far from a guarantee that Baalke can deliver Harbaugh or anyone else, throw in the many other, less chaotic, equally talented teams that will be looking for a HC, it becomes even less likely.

maybe jed should just pull a Jackie Moon, be the owner, GM, coach and start at left tackle. could work.

Jim

Jed York is so in over his head that nothing he says is direct. He’s a classic rich kid playing with mommy and daddy’s business; more charm than know how; more glitz than substance. He’s articulate from years of good schooling and uses his charm to wow people.

Baalke constanstly had issues and could not stick up to Singletary. Jed York has no business running an NFL franchise and no NFL team would every hire him for a large position other than the 49ers.

It’s sheer madness.

9er11

If change is the goal, then a new fresh perspective is needed. His hiring will be another learning moment for trustfund boy, just like Sing was. At this point, the prime goal should be getting some one in there as the authority over football operations. They need to be experienced in this or come from an existing operation that has been successful. Nothing about Baalke suggests he knows or has the capability of building an organization.

amp

Every little thing that York is doing is being overscrutinized and I think that much pressure makes it difficult to do anything. The media especially is to blame. Anything York or anyone does, they’re damned if they do, damned if they don’t. You know that it doesn’t matter who they hire, TK and everyone else will find something wrong with any decision they make. If we did get Harbaugh then someone will criticize it… saying they are banking on someone who doesn’t have NFL success under their belt. When Sing was hired, most of us were drinking the Kool-Aid and we loved the motivation he gave not only his players but the fans as well. Hindsight is always 20/20.

As a fan, I am excited for the changes, I don’t care who is GM and who is the HC as long as we get results.

http://www.49erswebzone.com Mondini

Let’s be clear on Balke, and why is such a joke of choice in the grand scheme of things.

1) He didn’t bring in any proven QB’s to compete for the starting job. He brought in 3rd stringer Troy Smith, who couldn’t even be the back up to Flaaco. He is over emotional for a QB, and can’t keep an even keel about him to direct his team for the long haul. Therefore, because a lack of vision at Quarterback which was the most glaring need of this franchise in order to make a true Super-bowl run in 2010 & beyond. Is the reason he should be fired. He endorsed Alex Smith from the beginning as his QB, that shows he has no knowledge of the QB position the 49ers are especially should be experts on. Were not! Balke is not the offensive or QB visionary this organization needs. We will be a revolving door of QB’s like Miami currently is after Dan Marino left. To settle with mediocrity is to settle with Balke.

2) Last years vision of Drafting two rookie Offensive Linemean was the demise of the 49ers 2010 season. As both draftees were well known in the scouting circles to have terrible mechanics, and also to have tendancy to create penalties because of that and false starts. Let’s welcome in Anthony Davis into the picture, who was falling on all draft bards because he had such poor mechanics. His method of using his hands was evaluated has having so many issues it would create many holding penalties ala 2010 season. Despite him dropping on draft boards to the 20’s. Balke decides to move up in the draft and give up a significant pick up to order to do that. 49ers were the second most penalized team in the NFL in the 2010 season. How did those draft picks work out for you? Balke is a joke of a promotion, and is just as responsible for the downfall of the 2010 season. He is a cheaper option with no General Manager experience in the NFL. He is only a scout without the credentials to control the nuances of an NFL Franchise. Let’s be real here. It’s a terrible choice

Jim

Robert Rowell you are wrong; most of the bad teams have big money into QB’s.

Cincy has Carson Palmer long term;
Buffalo’s Ryan Fitzpatrick has 3000 yards and 23 TD’s in 13 games on a terrible Buffalo team that played a brutal schedule. They have already said they like him. He’s still young too.

Carolina has lots of money in Jimmy Clausen.
Detroit has tons of money in Stafford.
Houston has Schaub locked up for big money.
Denver has Tebow locked up for big money along with their expensive backups.

The teams that need QB are the 49ers, the Cards, Vikings, Raiders, Washington.

The Raiders and 49ers dont’ have good QB’s; just serviceable ones. Andrew luck is the real deal.

I’d pay pretty much whatever it takes to get him. Jake Locker can’t hit the broadside of a barn and unless it’s man to man, is totally lost. Against Nebraska I felt sorry for him because he was so overmatched and threw 2 pick 6’s.

mike

Jed will screw up royally! Its what the Yorks do.

snarkk

Makes more sense to me for Harbaugh to go to Carolina. He can package himself with #1 Luck, and he’s a hero for at least 2 years there without any pressure. The main thing, too, no Yorks to deal with…

Ninerman

Trade- Vernon Davis – Frank Gore and give up a 2nd round draft pick to move up in the draft for a QB I think the Panthers would bite on this since Jimmy needs some help over there. If you have to give up Micheal Crabtree then do it, but pull back the the 2nd round pick. We all know you will not be sucessful without a top QB and A. Luck is the one for S.F we can build around him and start fresh.

http://www.ninersnation.com Nader Chehade

Hey Tim,

Here’s my theory to this whole media stunted fiasco created by Jed York & Company.

Jed is young, has been consulting with Mr.D regarding the future of the franchise and is finally ready to make the moves to be recognized as a competent owner of an NFL team. Announcing the search, going through candidates, the firing of Singletary & staff, have all been actions on his part to create a new beginning for the 49ers.

Well, guess what? Everything Jed has been doing is great! But here’s the catch, bringing along a new GM and a head coach cost money, money, and more money for many years ahead. This is where all his actions got cut off by the people above him. And by that I mean the people who sign the checks of the franchise, Denise and John York. I believe that once they started to grasp the financial commitments they would have to make with Jed’s actions, they started giving him instructions. That’s why they have to hire within, merely because it is the cheapest option. Harbaugh instead of Gruden? Of course! Harbaugh is the cheapest option between the two!!

Jed has grew up with the 49ers, so he has their best interest at heart. His parents are the ones who haulted his true intentions and actions. That’s why we are now forced to hire within, and the reasoning for this whole debacle that Jed has created. Did he mean it? Of course not, which shows that he doesn’t necessarily have this whole situation under control. What really bothers me is the fact that he’s stated that “Money is not an option, we are planning to win Super Bowls”. If this is true, stick to your word and hire someone from outside to properly manage our team. Jed really needs to just stick to working on the Santa Clara deal and have someone with a proven track record of General Manager experience.

We’ve promoted from within for the last 8 years. Remember, the definition of insanity is to continuously carry out the same actions yet expect different results. If Jed doesn’t get everything in order, it’s going to have a real negative affect on the fan base, because quite frankly, I don’t know how much longer I can stand such antics. Especially if he doesn’t pull everything off and get Harbaugh.

A Frustrated Faithful,
Nader Chehade

BD5

As I mentioned before, I would advise Jed to hire Holmgren or Shanahan at whatever cost. Look at what New England gave up (1st round pick) to hire Belichick when he was under contract to the Jets. He was the mastermind behind the New York Giants 3-4 defense with LT, Carson, Reasons, etc…Belichick failed as coach with the Browns playing smash mouth defensive (Bill Parcels disciple) football. When he went to the Patriots, he had Bledsoe and they were a terrible team until Bledsoe was injured. In for the injured Bledsoe was Tom Brady and the rest is history. Although Belichick is a defensive minded coach, he didn’t become GREAT until he found the right quarterback. Oh, and Brady grew up watching the GREAT 49ers quarterbacks (Montana and Young).

The 49ers need to make a similar move. Get Holmgren or Shanahan!!!

If the 49ers can’t get Holmgren or Shanahan, I believe Harbaugh may be the guy who KNOWS how to build a franchise. Harbaugh was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the Black and Blue (Smash mouth defensive football division in the 80’s). He failed as quarterback because their philosophy was the quarterback is an interchangeable part, and they had a GREAT defense and Walter Payton. However, he did resurrect his career with the Colts, but he didn’t have the GO TO (impact) players to have a great team.

The following are reasons to choose Harbaugh: (1) he has resurrected the Stanford’s football program to be a top twenty team (if not top ten); (2) he’s recruited players to come to a top ten academic university which is hard to do (USC pays their players and probably the SEC colleges pays too); (3) he’s offensive minded because his teams scores POINTS and not afraid to take chances; and (4) he’s KNOWS the quarterback position because he was a pretty good one, so he will recognize talented quarterbacks and be able to teach them how to read defenses and call audibles.

I also believe the Oregon and Boise State head coaches should be considered because they have built successful programs and even the SEC teams are afraid to play them. The reason why I say to consider them is because they are GREAT with X’s and O’s. I believe they are tactically sound because they put up POINTS against some highly touted (veteran coached) college teams. In addition, these teams get the leftover talent after the USC, Notre Dame, PAC 10, SEC, Big 10, Big 12 make their selections.

Aaron

Baalke was in the war room when the Niners took Chilo Rachal over DeShawn Jackson. Baalke has been there when we wasted a pick on Joe Staley, on Adam Snyder, and on every other failed offensive lineman taken in the top 3 rounds over the past few years. What talent have the Niners actually gotten lately that wasn’t obvious. What 3rd-7th round picks with the obvious exception of Gore have been solid starters/over-achievers? Out of all the supposed “great picks” these last few years, how many people have we sent to the Pro Bowl not named Willis or the frickin’ punter. Have we had anyone with double digit sacks? 300 yard passers? Get real. If we hire from within we are guaranteed plenty more years of suckness.

BD5

If Holmgren won’t come out of retirement, make him an offer he can’t refuse. Everybody has a PRICE! Eddie’s the perfect example. He PAID to keep the core, talented players, and he treated the team and the families around them with class (i.e. paid vacations to the Pro Bowl).

If that doesn’t happen, pry Shanahan from the Redskins and give him the space and time to become successful. He may be worth a first round draft pick.

Harbaugh can also recognize FLAWED quarterback talent because he probably competed with the Smith type quarterback. There are many proto-type quarterbacks who are lousy: Drew Bledsoe, Ryan Leaf, Alex Smith, etc…Just because you the right height and arm strength, it won’t make you a great quarterback. Great quarterbacks will have intangibles like footwork, reading defenses, calling audibles, and leadership abilities that are immeasurable. I’m sure he will recognize a good quarterback and make him great along with the franchise.

By the way, WHY, OH WHY, is Alex Smith starting again??? Tomsula should be FIRED today just for making that call to start him. Are we going BACK TO THE FUTURE again??? Or is it Jed making that call to start him? We need to play Troy Smith or Nate Davis because they MAY be the future. It seems this call to start Alex Smith is plain STUPID!!!

Grey Warden

Jed’s going to say he’ll be looking for a different QB for next season, then end up re-signing Alice Smith.

lowniner

Jed should be the next GM and Coach. Wait, isn’t he already?

I heard he is also a shoo in for the Sideline Gatorade Holder, but does he have past business experience in that?

stanfordfan

Dirksuave, you missed my point. Harbaugh would be a great fit in Dallas and Oakland… But why would he go to either team? He’d take a pay cut to coach in Oakland (from the $3 Mil on the table at Stanford) – Al likes to hire his head coaches on the cheap. Ask Gruden how well that worked out… And Dallas – Jimmy Johnson left for a reason… There’s better jobs out there for Harbaugh than the 49ers, Raiders or Cowboys, including staying at Stanford or going to Michigan…

bc

A lot of posters on this site may have missed Jed’s comment that he made a mistake hiring Sing without interviewing other candidates first.

Jed felt comfortable with Sing and went with him and he said that he won’t do that again. That is why he is interviewing other candidates even though he was comfortable hiring Trent. Too bad Tim isn’t reporting this. Tim just makes the most outrageous statements that he can to try to get everyone’s blood boiling and get his click rate up.

BTW, Trent understood that running up the middle wasn’t working and wanted to run sweeps and open up the whole field, but Sing wouldn’t listen to him. Not Trent’s fault. Sing had all of the power. Sing didn’t listen to anybody and didn’t have to. Jed has indicated that he’s not making that mistake again either. I support Jed’s reasoned approach.

Trent brought in Westbrook, Ginn, and others and has done a pretty good job (hopefully he wasn’t a party to letting FRob and Lewis go).

I think that Trent will be fine with the right coach. Let’s face it, if one of us had been calling the offensive plays this year the 9ers would have been at least 12-4, so Trent and whoever will be OK as long as it’s someone who has a clue and will listen to Trent’s point of view. It doesn’t have to be a big name, just someone who is smart and understands tactics and strategy.

Also, I don’t believe it would be a good idea to put all of our eggs in one basket with a #1 QB draft pick. Even with the way Alex played this year the 9ers would have easily won the division except for mistakes by Walker, Nate, special teams, the offensive line and horrendous play calling.

The smartest thing might be to keep Alex and build a more competent team around him including (and especially) the coaches. If Alex goes to Seattle and teams up with the head coach up there he could bedevil us for the next seven to ten years.

We need upgrades at outside linebacker, cornerback, defensive line, safety, running back and special teams more than we need to change quarterbacks by sending Alex to Seattle.

lifeniner

Trade Baalke for Joe Thomas who will again give up draft choices for a washed-up legend…..Want to go bad….go bad, all the way….

bw

Michigan seems like the only job Harbaugh would leave Stanford for. He grew up in Ann Arbor hanging around Bo Schembechler then later playing for him. They offer just as much money as the NFL but much more job security and the chance to become a legend alongside Schembechler, Crisler, Yost. You get your pick of the best players every year. You have 116,000 fans on your side every game at the Big House. And as an earlier poster said, this will probably be his only shot at the Michigan job.

I’ve also been hearing Adam Schefter, NFL insider and well connected Michigan grad, reporting that his sources tell him Harbaugh will be at Michigan next year.

Not Chicken Little

“Let’s face it, if one of us had been calling the offensive plays this year the 9ers would have been at least 12-4″- well, if BD is correct, then 16-0 should be a reasonable goal for 2011. Gotta love the passion.
Alex Smith- a really likable guy, with certain skills undermined by incompetent coaches. Alex, who we’ve waited and waited for to come of age and deliver but continues to disappoint. I’d like the best for him, and if that best comes with us, well, great! However, its time to move on.
There is need for a lot of housecleaning in Ninerland. Let’s wish Alex well at his next stop.